The Center for Women’s Health Research Advances Women’s Health Through an Interdisciplinary Approach
The Center for Women’s Health Research Advances Women’s Health Through an Interdisciplinary Approach
CWHR promotes cross-collaboration in women’s health research, bringing together researchers from diverse fields.
The Center for Women's Health Research (CWHR) at the University of Minnesota Medical School is a pivotal hub for advancing women's health, gender, and sex differences research. Established in 2012, CWHR is focused on improving the health of women across the lifespan, a goal achieved by breaking down silos in research and supporting the development of junior faculty members and students. Leading the interdisciplinary effort are director and principal investigator Dr. Kristen Mark, principal investigators Dr. Bharat Thyagarajan and Dr. Sharon Allen, and research manager Kait Macheledt, MPH. Together, they are driving a broad-based approach to research that transcends traditional academic boundaries and fosters collaboration across multiple disciplines.
"The concept of women's health and gender health is something that reaches a lot of different disciplines," Macheledt explains.
CWHR’s commitment to an interdisciplinary model has been instrumental in bringing together researchers from fields as diverse as public health, medicine, communication, and journalism, all working toward the common goal of improving women’s health outcomes.
“Women’s health requires an interdisciplinary lens, and that really strengthens the science,” says Dr. Mark.
One of CWHR’s main purposes is coordinating scholar awards, including the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) K12 grant program. This NIH-funded program, now in its 18th year, provides salary support and research stipends to junior faculty members from various schools across the U of M.
Dr. Thyagarajan, who was once a BIRCWH scholar himself, highlights the program’s success in fostering career development, saying, "We have published a paper that summarizes the impact of our BIRCWH program in terms of the number of scholars, the types of research, and the amount of dollars they have brought in. It shows the value of the BIRCWH program in promoting women's health research here at the University of Minnesota."
CWHR not only advances research but also addresses long-standing gaps in women’s health research that have persisted for decades.
"Women's health has been historically an underfunded and understudied area," Dr. Thyagarajan notes. "For example, conditions like endometriosis and menopause, which affect a large number of women, have not received the attention they deserve."
"Early research and studies restricted enrolling women, and it was mainly male-focused,” adds Dr. Allen. “This limited what could be looked at and done in terms of women’s health."
CWHR is helping to reverse this trend by emphasizing research that is inclusive of women and other marginalized groups.
"We have scholars researching everything from endometrial cancer biomarkers to improving autism screening processes for girls. The work we do is interdisciplinary, cross-disciplinary, and touches on many different fields," points out Macheladt, highlighting the far-reaching impact of the work.
CWHR’s work is driven by the belief that complex problems require multifaceted solutions. This philosophy is reflected in the Center's initiatives, such as community engagement, the annual Women’s Health Conference, and the Women’s Health Research Collaboration Lab, which brings together researchers from across the University to broaden their networks and develop new collaborations.
Looking to the future, Dr. Allen is excited about the next generation of researchers.
"Seeing these young researchers be excited about research in women's health is exciting in and of itself," she says. "We have a nucleus of researchers who can collaborate with and support each other, which is something we haven't seen in the academic center before."
Dr. Thyagarajan shares this optimism, especially as CWHR continues to provide opportunities for researchers to explore underrepresented areas of study.
"We are now able to provide opportunities for people to pursue research in areas that traditionally have not been viable career choices," he says. "For example, we have a postdoc in our program studying menopause and kidney disease—something that wouldn’t have been possible a few years ago."
As the CWHR grows, its leaders are committed to expanding the scope of women’s health research, building interdisciplinary collaborations, and supporting the next generation of scholars. CWHR is not only advancing research but also creating a lasting impact on the future of women’s health in Minnesota and beyond.
"We're fundamentally changing how our nation approaches women's health," Macheledt concludes. "And that’s a mission we’re proud to lead."